PRESIDENT Arroyo leaves today for a weeklong official visit to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) and proceed to the United Arab Emirates to showcase the Philippines’ economic turnaround and seek more investments.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Arroyo will be accompanied by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo. They will leave the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 12:30 p.m. after presiding over a joint National Economic Development Authority and National Anti-Poverty Commission Cabinet group meeting in Malacañang at 10 a.m.

Arroyo is expected to arrive in Zurich around 11 p.m. Tuesday (6 a.m. Manila time Wednesday).

In Zurich, she will address the Swiss Chamber of Commerce, attend a private meeting with pharmaceutical firm owner Stephen Zuellig, who is a Philippine Golden Cross (Order of Lakandula) awardee, and attend a luncheon-meeting with her international board of advisors on Jan. 23 before going to Davos on Jan. 24.

In Davos, Arroyo will hold a series of meetings with, among others, Craig Barret, WEF governor for Information and Communications Technology and Intel Corp. chairman; William Rhodes, Citigroup Inc. and Citibank senior vice chairman; members of the Aragon Financial Group which was formed to assist, particularly through funding, oil and natural gas companies; and representatives of the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

On the same day, Arroyo will meet with World Trade Organization director general Pascal Lamy, hold possible bilateral meetings with Swiss Confederation president Pascal Couchepin and Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and cap the night with a dinner with the chief executive officers (CEOs) attending the WEF and a meeting over "coffee" with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

On Jan. 25, Arroyo will grant a 10-minute live interview with "Davos Today." This will be followed by a meeting with WEF executive chairman and founder Klaus Schwab and a series of courtesy calls led by United Bank of Switzerland CEO Marcel Rohner, Japan International Cooperation Agency president Sadako Ogata, Association of Southeast Asian Nation secretary general Surin Pitsuwan and Coca-Cola Co. chairman and CEO Neville Isdell.

Bunye said the President will also have a bilateral meeting with Netherlands Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende on Jan. 25.

Bunye said he is not sure if the agenda of the two leaders included the Dutch government’s commitment to pursue its investigations on the criminal complaint against self-exiled Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison.

He said Arroyo will also meet on the same day International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Khan.

He said Arroyo will attend reception honors for the "World’s Most Powerful Women" hosted by international accounting firm Ernst and Young Limited Liability Partnership.

On the same day, Arroyo will address the high-level plenary session on the "Emerging Asian Community: Role of Asean" which will be followed by a special address on "Gender Parity Group" and a private dinner with some CEOs from Dubai. It will be capped by a "coffee" break with the Philippine Media.

Bunye said a meeting between Arroyo and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is still being scheduled for the 25th or before she leaves for her investment trip to Dubai.

He said the visits to Zurich, Davos and Dubai are important as these would give Arroyo the opportunity to interact with political, business and international leaders on a wide range of subjects of common concern like the environment, Asean and the Asian region among others. The President is expected to return to Manila on Jan. 28. – Jocelyn Montemayor